Fall into me
by Sandrine C
Summary: One-shot. Dastan/Tamina. What goes on in Dastan's head in the last few scenes of the movie and what happens after. "I could only focus on the voice inside my head repeating over and over—I am not ready to lose her."


**Fall into me**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from Prince of Persia don't belong to me. Credit goes to those who own them.**

I could feel the truth in her voice, mixed with equal parts fear and determination. I knew what she was saying was right but as I felt her hand slipping away, I could only focus on the voice inside my head repeating over and over—_I_ _am not ready to lose her. _

The howling noise of the sandglass was drowned out by her scream. My world was silent as she fell into the abyss, my brave princess. My chest felt like it would explode from the pain and for a split second I wanted to let go of the rock as well. If the world ended today, it wouldn't matter. At least, we'd be together in death.

But I couldn't fail her. Her fading scream gave way to the chaos that Nizam was about to unleash, of what she sacrificed her life to prevent. And so I moved.

I had but one thought in my mind—to protect the dagger, no matter the consequence, even with my own life. I battled with my uncle as I did with my emotions. I tried to wrench from him the last thing he could take from me. There was only this after the loss of my father, my brothers and the love that was lost before I had the chance to tell the world.

Then it all stopped and the world stilled. All I could hear were the screams of those that went before me.

"_So this is what the end is like."_ I thought to myself as I hung in suspended motion as I watched my own life as if I were a spectator to a match, one where I lost all bets. I saw Tamina fall again, as if seeing it once was not enough. I saw Nizam slit Tus' throat in cold blood. I saw Garsiv using his last breath to save me. I saw my father's anguish as he died thinking it was me who killed him.

But as quickly as it started I found myself clutching the dagger once more and the sounds of life erupted around me as if it never slowed. I heard a voice call me—"Prince Dastan!" it said. It was my friend Bis. My dead friend Bis is alive and had set off my brain to start working out the possibilities.

I had not yet been framed. Bis had not yet run after me to join me as I escaped and he had not yet been stabbed. I had not yet followed Princess Tamina jump into the pool. My brothers would not have put a price on my head just yet. There is no funeral at Avrat. There is no massacre at the temple. There is no need for me to let her go. Not now, not ever.

I ran.

The words of my father in that time to be forgotten rang true in my head as I sped towards the gathering crowd at the foot of the palace—the call to greatness when it meant going against every voice in the crowd and listening only to the one inside you. Every step that brought me closer to the palace steps I thought of my father's words but my heart was beating a rhythm so similar to the moment I gripped her life in my hand. Hers was the most important life I was going to save today and it fuelled me to face the Persian army, my brothers and my once beloved uncle as an honest man against the louder voice of a traitor.

* * *

"Father! Show me again!" said the young boy as he squealed in delight I lay on the ground panting from the effort of trying to run up a wall.

"Please," the young prince said, "the third step can't be that hard for the lion of Persia."

I turned my head in surprise and wondered who in the world had taught my son that phrase which I had expressly forbid anyone to speak of anymore.

A soft laugh echoed behind us and I knew at once who the culprit was.

"Yes, of course nothing is too hard for such a brave warrior. " Tamina said her eyes bright with mischief, extending a hand to help me up.

I pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "My darling wife, my back hurts. Don't encourage him. This is embarrassing. I've fallen six times already."

Tamina only smiled as she knelt down to face our son. "Time to go inside my little prince. Your father will try again tomorrow."

My eyes widened and I was about to protest but Tamina silenced me with a withering look so I was forced to watch the happy little boy who was looking forward to another day of watching his father attempt the many ways to break his bones.

"Walk with me," the princess said just like she did those years ago when we first met for the second time.

We fell into step in complete silence, our hands intertwined my grip much tighter than hers like always. I wondered if she ever noticed or if she ever thought it curious that I seemed like I never wanted to let her go.

We stopped walking in front of the fountain in the courtyard as if we were replaying a scene from our past. She looked at me as if she was trying to figure something out.

"What?" I finally asked bringing her hand to my lips just like before.

"Even after all these years, I still like I'm missing something. I can't understand still why you look at me that way." Tamina said

"And what way is that?" I asked

"As if you love me for reasons I'm not even aware of," she said looking away and pulling her hands to herself.

I embrace her from behind and kiss the side of her head, "Because I do," I replied simply.

The breeze blew past us gently and for a while its gentle sound was the only thing we could hear.

"You talk in your sleep," she said

"I wouldn't know. I was asleep." I replied with a shrug and she turned to slap me on the shoulder.

"I'm being serious Dastan," she said but laughed a little just the same

She paused and took a deep breath before continuing, taking my hand in hers.

"You look at me everyday as if your only joy is to see me alive and breathing," she said softly, "Tell me the truth, my prince. Have I died before?"

I looked her in the eyes, searching for anger or hurt for not telling her sooner that I knew her secrets but I found nothing. I waited for the guardian in her to lash out after finding out that something had gotten close enough to the sandglass to change so much of history.

I pulled her close and whispered to her ear, "Yes."

I felt her tears on my back as I held her close and waited for her shock to subside.

"Did you do it to save me? Did you use the power for your own gain?" she asked, fear lacing her voice as if she didn't want to hear the answer but the guardian in her needed to know

I placed my hands on her face and spoke the truth to my wife, "I love you and every single day hereafter but that day I acted not thinking of the seconds past the moment I ripped that dagger out of the glass. I did it thinking I was already dead myself and I'll join you in a while. As painful as it was to let you go, I respected your sacrifice and I loved you more for it. I will never take that away from you and I'll do it again if you ask me to."

She touched her forehead to mine and let out a breath of relief and smiled. "No, I'll settle for asking you to try walking up that wall for our son, every single day until you get it right."

"That will take two days, then what?" I said slipping back into our easy banter

"Then you spend the rest of your days teaching him how to be a great man," the princess said bestowing a kiss on my cheek before taking my hand as we walked into our home.

_-Fin_


End file.
